Perplexity AI employee thanks CEO Sriram Krishnan for “creating over 100 American jobs”

An American executive recently thanked Aravind Srinivas, the Indian-born CEO of Perplexity AI, and acknowledged that his hiring was due to Mr. Srinivas’ contributions. Dmitry Shevelenko, chief business officer at Perplexity AI, praised Srinivas for creating over 100 job opportunities in the US, including his own, despite working on a visa. The heartfelt post comes amid a heated debate over immigration in the US and highlights the positive impact of immigrant entrepreneurs on the American economy and job market.

“I am an American who is employed because an Indian immigrant on a visa started a business in the US. Thank you @AravSrinivas for creating over 100 American jobs,” Mr. Shevelenko wrote on X.

See the post here:

I am an American who is employed because an Indian immigrant on a visa started a business in the US. Thanks @AravSrinivas for creating over 100 American jobs.

— Dmitry Shevelenko (@dmitry140) December 25, 2024

Notably, Aravind Srinivas, an alumnus of IIT Madras and UC Berkeley, co-founded Perplexity AI in 2022. The company gained recognition for its AI-driven search engine and attracted investments from notable personalities including Jeff Bezos. Despite his successes, Srinivas faced challenges in obtaining a U.S. green card, pointing to systemic problems in the immigration process. Prominent figures such as Elon Musk have also advocated for reforms to make it easier to enter and retain highly skilled professionals in the United States.

His post sparked mixed reactions on social media. While some users appreciated his recognition of Mr. Srinivas’ contributions, others criticized Shevelenko. Some asked why Mr. Srinivas didn’t set up his company in India instead of the US. Many users defended Mr. Shevelenko’s views, arguing that talented people should be given the opportunity to develop and contribute in any country, regardless of their background.

One user wrote: “Let builders build in America. It doesn’t matter where you were born, but where you want to build. We must continue to attract the best talent to continue to grow our economy.”

Another commented: “And guess what, he STILL has a VISA while recent grads who came after him have green cards. Thank you to ANTI AMERICAN DEI Country QUOTAS.”

A third said: “It’s safe to assume that America has lost hundreds if not thousands of founders like Aravind over the last 25 years due to the distorted policies in place.” A fourth added: “I wish he had these.” Had the opportunity in India so that every Indian could have posted this beautiful message.”